National Advisory Council

Mission
The mission of the National Advisory Council is to serve as a bridge between the professional engineering community and the College of Engineering (COE) in order to create interdependent relationships that will help accomplish the common goals of industry and address the needs of the College and its students. In essence, the Council's purpose is to provide direction, feedback and leadership to the College in order to meet the ever changing needs of the students and the profession.

Membership
The Dean of Engineering appoints Council members to three-year terms, which may be renewed. The Dean appoints the chair and vice-chair. The chair serves two (2) years and passes the gavel to the vice chair for a two (2) year term. The Dean selects a new vice chair three months prior to the vice chair taking over the chair. Past chairs remain on the council and serve at the Dean's discretion. Once Council membership ends, individuals are advanced to the Dean's Associates, who provide advice and council on an ad hoc basis. Since the Council is national in scope and distance may be a barrier to participation for some members, all meetings will be held with teleconferencing capability to accommodate members who are not in Milwaukee.

Committee Structure
The Council will have three working committees: Building Bridges to Business, Building Bridges to the University and Advisory Support to the COE . The chairs of the three working committees will be appointed by the Council Chair in consultation with the Dean.

Building Bridges to Business

Mission
To gain access to local and national industry for the purpose of providing input to the College regarding technology and business trends that should be considered for program and curriculum development. The Committee will be responsible for identifying opportunities for collaboration between the COE and Business i.e. co-op sites, tours, internships, mentors, speakers etc.

Possible Activities

• Link faculty researchers with industrial research opportunities.
• Volunteer or recruit graduate engineer volunteers to speak to freshman Engineering classes on careers and other work/life perspectives.
• Offer to lecture to a class on your specialty area. If distance is a barrier, arrange for a teleconference call, a Web cast, or a videoconference.

Building Bridges to the University

Mission
To enhance the reputation of the College by seeking feedback from the University in a proactive way on a regular basis.

Possible Activities

• Set up a face to face meeting with the Provost to share information regarding the activities of the NAC and the COE.
• Engage the administration in using different language regarding COE scholarships and engineering practices.
• Form strategic connections with other deans and colleges to share best practices.
• Create opportunities and build relationships with key university personnel.

Advisory Support to the College of Engineering

Mission
To provide direction and guidance to the College regarding its strategic plan, recruitment of students and academic matters.

Possible Activities

• Prepare a list of college of engineering competitors.
• Develop a set of metrics for the College to use in bench marking it's programs and practices.